That's still your answer. People see the game with its evolution, and the game is made up of the players playing it.

Hence, today's version of player becomes the "standard" (rightly or wrongly) because the association becomes that "they're the best so far."

Of course, evolution depends on environment. A "more-evolved" creature is better at surviving in its particular environment; it's not simply better.

You can look at hockey the same way. Hockey changes based on its environment. The latest version is not necessarily the "best", but perhaps just the most appropriate for its time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by alanschu

It probably doesn't hurt that the players of today have more easily referenced body of work (and this will always be the case, if for no other reason than their games are played more recently and easier to remember - never mind technological improvements).

Familiarity and ease of obtaining information are certainly valid reasons to use, if you must do this. Just realize that that doesn't mean it's necessarily a better game now. It could simply be a different one.